Community members sewing masks for Mayo staff
DOVER-FOXCROFT — To provide an extra measure of protection for employees at Northern Light Mayo Hospital, and a safeguard for others working out in the community during the coronavirus pandemic, volunteers have gotten together remotely via Facebook to sew protective masks.
Jane Conroy of Dover-Foxcroft said the Dover Mask Makers Facebook group started when Rhoda Kirkpatrick — who has a shop Custom Sewing and Embroidery on Winter Street — created a post seeking volunteers to make masks for Northern Light Mayo Hospital staff.
“I just replied ‘yep, let me know how I can help’ and it just snowballed from there,” Conroy said, with the Facebook group having 120 members as of Tuesday. The page features instructions, including videos, and other guidance for those looking to help.
“She worked with (Dr. David McDermott) and a couple of nurses to kind of come up with a prototype, which has changed many times since we started,” Conroy said. The masks sewn by volunteers are intended to go over other facial protective wear hospital staff already have on to meet CDC guidelines.
“The masks we are making are designed to be used over existing manufactured masks to help prolong their usage,” Kirkpatrick wrote in a group Facebook post on Monday. “They provide minimal protection on their own. If those manufactured masks are unavailable the hospital and other healthcare groups will need to install filters that they provide and the filters will need to be removed before laundering. Masks are designed to be laundered in hot water and dried by the recipients.”
Conroy said she is part of the “cutting committee. I wash and I dry and I cut out all of the material for masks and then some people will come and pick it up. Others are doing that same thing at their own homes and are donating all of the material, fabric and elastic.”
“I would encourage people to go to the website and sign up, we need helpers as far as people getting fabric,” she said. “If people want to cut, we are at the same stage now where we need sewers. It’s basic using your sewing machine and straight stitching, nothing too technical. It’s helping our local healthcare providers.”
Conroy said Facebook is helping limit interactions, as are pickup and dropoff locations. “We have several organizations that have chipped in and are currently supporting us,” she said. “For example we have a dropoff bucket at Pine Tree Hospice and we have some people that are doing it at their pace at home. We have people donating material.”
So far 160 masks have been dropped off on the Pine Tree Hospice front porch at 883 West Main St. on the edge of the hospital campus. From there the items are brought over to Mayo Northern Light Hospital.
“The nurses, CNA’s and housekeeping have all expressed their gratitude for everyone’s willingness to help protect us during this pandemic,” Jess Thibodeau of Northern Light Mayo Hospital wrote in a Facebook post last week on the Dover Mask Makers page. “We are truly blessed to live in a supportive and helpful community. One nurse was brought to tears when I told her so many people were helping to make masks for us. Please pass on how thankful we are for all the amazing volunteers!”
“I have sent some masks to the bus drivers because they are delivering lunches,” Conroy said. “I know they are using the masks as a precaution,” she said. Even though the drivers are not spending a great deal of time in close contact with others they are still leaving their homes to bring students food and packets while the pupils are learning remotely.
“I know the food cupboard has asked for masks,” Conroy said as these volunteers could also have a level of protection in place thanks to the sewers’ efforts. Masks are also now being prepared for employees at the two nursing homes in Dover-Foxcroft.